1. Technical Field
The present disclosure is related to an ultra-high density fiber optic micro-duct cable, and more particularly, to a cable which may include 288 fibers and which is configured to be inserted in a micro-duct having an inner diameter of 13 mm or less, and that is capable of withstanding high tensile and compressive loads and extreme temperature ranges.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the demand for bandwidth needed to support communications devices continues to increase, fiber networks continue to grow and expand. An existing method for installing fiber optic cables is to blow or jet the cable into a micro-duct. In these cases, the micro-duct limits the cable construction that can be installed. To overcome this, manufacturers have developed small diameter, lightweight cables with high fiber density for use in the ducts. However, as noted in Telcordia's Generic Requirements for Optical Fiber and Optical Fiber Cable (GR-20, Issue 4), “The small size of the micro-duct cables results in generally lower tensile strength, crush resistance, and the like.” As such, technicians must take special care while installing traditional duct cables. Further, existing constructions of high fiber count cables often have a limited operating temperature range, so they are not suitable in extreme temperature environments. While some high count constructions are commercially available, their construction limits the operating performance, specifically the tensile load, compression resistance and operating temperature ranges.